Reidmark Limited - April 2006 to April 2008. A few years ago as Director of Resources at Broadland Housing Association I met with the Reidmark team at a Harrogate exhibition and was impresed enough with their plans for e-business housing software in the social rented sector to take on their product RSLmanager.
The system was in relatively early stages of deveopment then and there were some early teething troubles. Nevertheless the software and the customer have gone from strength to strength together with what is now superb software.
Reidmark approached me to be their Finance Director and Internal Consultant. It was an extremely interesting assignment and Reidmark could now make a real difference in social housing and the life long learning sectors.
While at Reidmark I was able to mprove all their administrative systems awith the introduction of regular minuted board meetings, regular reporting, proper accounts, WIP measurement and general business discipline.
I also introduced management development for senior employees and took wide ranging responsibilities as Company Secretary and as Head of HR. In addition I was able to contibute to systems design and specification work.
Norfolk Autistic Community Housing Association - July 2006 to March 2008. NACHA asked me to join it as voluntary Chair at a time when members, parents and staff were worried about the way the organisation was performing and about its future. The previous Chair had not managed to solve the problems.
After a short period of taking stock, temporary support was recruited and a merger partner was sought. The merger with Essex Autistic Society was agreed and the merged organisation, Autism Anglia, has a bright future.
Broadland Housing Association - Sept. 2003 to July 2005 . I was asked to apply for the position of Director of resources in 2003 and following extensive interviews and psychometric tests I was successful. It was a fascinating role dealing with an organisation in distress which it went into supervision soon after I joined as a result of a 'dysfunctional board'. Together with the Chief Executive painful changes were pushed through abd the association now has a two star rating - a major transformation. As a director I was also responsible for all aspects of the organisation and for much of the time effectively second in command. I was responsible for all the financial aspects of the association including, treasury, accounts, borrowings of £70m together with efficiency, risk and support of the audit committee. Major improvements in measuring, reporting and controls were achieved.
IT was also within my remit and I was able to install a ground breaking system as well as achieving much greater resilience from the ordinary business systems. It is now a successful association.
Saffron Building Society - 1987 – 2004. I served on the board of this building society for over 16 years. When appointed I was one of the youngest directors in the movement and, despite guidance that nine years was long enough for any director, was encouraged to stay until I left the area for other employment.
For much of the time with the Society I chaired the audit committee and it was with the society that I developed an interest in and learned a lot about good corporate governance.
Anglia Housing Group - 1996 – 2003. I served as chair of Stort Valley Housing Association and on the board of Anglia Housing Group. The group owned and managed approximately 12,000 homes in the east of England. Stort Valley received a major stock transfer in Hertfordshire during my tenure. We received a high number of votes in favour of this transfer, in part because of the strong tennant involvement at board level; I was very stron about ensuring that the tenant voice was always heard.
The Rowan Foundation - 1984 to 2003. I was a founding director of this Charity working with the learning disabled in Cambridge.
J Chater and Sons 1983 to 1986. Reached early partnership with these Certified Accountants in Cambridge.
Price Bailey and Partners - 1976 to 1983 – Qualified with Chartered Accountants, Bishop’s Stortford.
Keens, Shay, Keens - 1973 to 1976. Articles with Chartered Accountants, London.
